Consolidated Planning Corp Acquires 1,141 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Consolidated Planning Corp increased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 27.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,332 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,141 shares during the period. Consolidated Planning Corp’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $708,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth $151,827,000. FMR LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 54.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth $18,843,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 2.3 %

The Ensign Group stock opened at $126.12 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.25 billion, a PE ratio of 24.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s fifty day moving average is $136.76 and its 200 day moving average is $143.59.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the topic of several recent research reports. UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Macquarie increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

About The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc provides skilled nursing, senior living, and rehabilitative services. It operates through two segments: Skilled Services and Standard Bearer. The company's Skilled Services segment engages in the operation of skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation therapy services for patients with chronic conditions, prolonged illness, and the elderly; and offers nursing facilities including specialty care, such as on-site dialysis, ventilator care, cardiac, and pulmonary management, as well as standard services comprising room and board, special nutritional programs, social services, recreational activities, entertainment, and other services.